Excavator



J. J. WARREN.

EXCAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IuIY 3,19I9.

WITNESSES MJUQM- I J. 1. WARREN.

EXCAVATOR. APPLICATION FILED JULY a, me. y 1,345,296. Patented Jun@ 29, 1920.

n 0') 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, WITNESSES INVENTOH n By A l. 1,. WARREN. EXCAVATOR.

APPLlcATloN FILED luLY 3.1919.

NN w llV VEN TOI? JJMf/ff/V WIT/VESSES fwn/f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

:JAM-Es .Josnrrr WARREN, or SEATTLE, 'wasnInneren.

nxcavnron l Specification of 'Letters Patent. Patented 1111929, 1920.

Application 1e`d .Tuly 3, 1919. 'Serial No. 308,420.

To (LU whom/t may concern Be 1t known that I, JAMES J. VARREN, a citizen of the United States, and a .resident Y of `Seattle, in the `*county of King and State of lVashington, have invented anew and Improved Excavator, of which the following is a fulil, clear, and :exact (description.

This invention frelates to excavators, 'and more particularly toa machine of this kind for use in cutting ytunnelsfditches, trenches and the like, in connection with mining,

agricultural, and similar activities.

The object 'of the invention is-.rto ,provide a simple and enicient :excavati`r`y chine by means of which tunnels, ditches, k.trenches and the like may be dug rapidly, with small expenditure of power, and with the aid `of a minimum of-operators or workmen.

A further lobject of the invention is 4to provide an `excavator which can be easily handled and maneuvered, which is selfdriven, and in which a single prime mover is vused both forthe operation `of 'the excavator and its trave-l and maneuvering. i

Reference is -to be had to the accompanyn ing drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation VVof my excavator, showing the same in operation in digging a tunnel;

Fig. 2 is a lplan view of the'excavator, having parts thereofV broken away;

Fig. 3 isa longitudinal, vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

in digging trenches, ditches, in open mining,

and for other purposes. It is intended primarily for operation in comparatively soft material such Vas sand, earth, or gravel, but f Vcan also be used 1n mixtures Tof materlal `1nlcludlng comparativel small rocks or boulders'. As exempli ed herein the prime mover for providing powerfo-r the loperalmounted upon the main shaft 17.

tion of the excavator Ais an .electric motor `Vto which fcurren't may be supplied in any 'convenient manner. However, .otherl prime movers such as gas or oil engines may be used. 4Many of the details of construction illustrated herein maybe varied, and form no part of the invention.

Referring .more particularly tto the drawings, the excavator has .a body 10 providing a platform 11 arranged comparatively fclose tothe ground and .having ymounted .thereonthe electric motor 12 or any other suitable source of power. The sides of the body `consist of twospaced uprights 13 and 14,

the uprights 13 `being substantially Vertical 'Y and at the rear ofthe body,`and .the uprights 14 being at the forward part of the Ibody and rearwardly inclined. The uprights v"of eachpair areconnectedat their upper yends by longitudinal members 15 having mounted .thereon bearings 16 in whichV is journaled a4V` mainshaft 17 extending transversely of the excavator. rllhe `lower parts of thefupright 13 at the rear of the body are :connected by a cross wall 18 having a rearward, Vhorizontal extension 19. mounted under the extension 19 andis pivotally associated therewith by means -of a king pin 21 extending through an opening provided for :the Ipurpose in the extension.

A guide wheel 22 having a central, periphf eral lflange 23 is rotatablymounted between the sides of the fork member. A retaining collar 24 is secu-red upon the king pin', above the extension 19. The king pin also has rying at its yfree end a toothed segment 26 in mesh with a worm' 27 carried upon a A fork member 20 .is

. rigidly associated therewithan arm'25 ex# tending forwardly of the excavator and carshaft 28 mounted in bearings 29 carried by the uprights 13. At lone end, the shaft 28- has a hand crank 30, by means of which the shaft may be turned. The movement of the shaft through the. worm and toothed segment will swing the direction or the other, as desired.

The motor. 12 is operatively connected:

with the shaft 27 in any suitable manner, for example as shown, by means -of gears and pinions. In the exemplification of the ma'chineillustrated, a pinion 31 is mounted upon the shaft y32 kof the motor. This pinion is in mesh with a gear 33 carried by an intermediate shaft 321.] This shaft likewise carries a pinion 35 in mesh with a gear 36 guide wheel -22 in oneA The excavator includes a swinging frame consisting of suitable, similar side frame members 37, of any suitable form, and preferably consisting of I-beams or channels. Each frame member 37, at its end, has bearings 38 and 39, respectively at the forward and rear ends'.

In the bearings 88 is mounted a shaft 40, and in the bearings 89, a shaft 41. The shaft 49 carries a pair of spaced disks 42 having spaced peripheral guides 48.

y Similar disks 44,'having peripheral notches 45, are secured upon the shaft 41. Arranged upon the upper edges of each of the Y frame members 37 is a series of bearings 46,

each corresponding pair of bearings having a transverse shaft 47v carrying near its ends and 4within the space between the frame members, flanged idler rollers 48.

VT he excavating element of the machine vconsists of a series of buckets mounted upon chains and arrangedto travel around 'the swinging frame. This series of chain bucki ets may be ofany suitable type or form, and,

'. for example, as shown herein, each bucket has Aan outer face `49, preferably of arcuate cross-section, a rear wall 50, and sidewalls 51 .of substantially triangular shape. rhe chains proper consistl of pairs of spaced links 52 .arrangedfalong the edges of the rear walls of the buckets and connected by .suitable hinge rods r53,. the links of each pair being held-apart by spacers 54 mounted upon the rods 53, The chains pass-around p. the guide disks 42 Vand 44, the notches of 35' which are so spaced as to receive'the rods 53 andthe spacers thereon, in the usual manner. The upper runs of the chains are supported vmovably upon the rollers 48, the flanges of which serve to restrain the loaded buckets from lateral movement. ably, the curved face 49 of each bucket is Y provided with two or more prongs or teeth 55 the points of which project beyond the vedges of the buckets, to Vfacilitate the dig ging action. Preferably, the prongs of the 1 different buckets are variously spaced, asis shownv in Figs. 4 and 5. Y

The body of the excavator, at the'forward V `lower part thereof, carries a pair of spaced upwardly directed arcuate armsr 56, each presenting a-rack 5.7 at its rear edge. The racks 57 mesh with pinionsY 58 mounted upon a -shaft 59 journaledin the frame members 3.7. Between the ,frame .members f the shaft 59 carries a bevel gear 60 in mesh with a bevel gear 61 carried upon the forward end of a longitudinal shaft 62 )ournaled in a bearing 63 of a cross-frame member 64. At its rear end, the shaft 62 carries a bevel gear 65 adapted to mesh with either one oftwo oppositely disposed bevel gears 66 and 67 rigidly secured upon the main siaft 17. A shaft 68` is journaled in bean ings carried by kthe body, at the upper part thereof, and has at one end a hand wheel 69.

VPreferj Intermediate its ends, the shaft 68 has a worm 7 0 arranged to coperate with a block 71 through which the shaft 62 rotatably passes. ,'lhus, by turning the hand wheel 69, the block 71 can be moved in one direction orA the other, carrying with it the shaft '62, which is so mounted as to have some Vthe arms 56 are independent but similarV Vtraction wheels 75, having hubs 76, spokes 77, outer rims 78, and inner rims 79 'concentric with the outer rims and spaced inwardly therefrom. Preferably, the traction wheelswvwe' the outer peripheries of the rims wovided with projections or ribs 80-in orderto increase the tractive effort, by l insuring suitable engagement with the ground. Y 7 Each of the body members 14 has mounted thereon, at its forward edge, avU-shaped slide bearinur member 81 in which is mounted slide bearings 82. A' transverse shaft 83 is carried in the slide bearings 82. This shaft Y lhas mounted thereon a pair of spaced 'disks 84 having peripheral notches 85 and similar to the disks 42 and 44. lThe `disks 84 are located under the bucket frame and serve as idlers, engaging the lower runs of the chains whereby the shaft 83 is constantly actuated when the chain of buckets is in operation.

, The shaft 83, at each end, hasa rollr 86 lo-' 4catedin the inner and outer rims of one of the traction wheels. Associated Vwith each slide bearing 82 is a threaded stem 87 passing through a threaded-opening`88. of the frame-member 14 and havingV secured there- Y to a hand wheel 89.` By turning the hand "wheel 89, the corresponding slide bearing can be moved backward and forward to bring `the roller 86 into frictional engagement either with the'inner or the outer'rim of thev traction wheel, the arrangement of [the shaft 88 permitting suicient play for the purpose. Y

The, power from the n main shaft 17k is transmitted to the chain of buckets by means of a sprocket 90 on the main shaft, a chain 91 and a second :sprocket 92 rigidly secured upon the shaftr41. v Y `The operation of the excavator is as follows "When the' motor 12 is set in motion its vpower is 'transmitted through the gears and pinions to the'main shaft 17, upon which :the bucket frame Vismounted to swing. Y The power fromthe main shaft 17 is transmitted `to the chain of buckets bymeans of the disks 42' and 44 and lover the idler rollers 48 and the idler Adisks 84. l:By suitably positioni'n g the machine, the buckets at the front end of the frame are brourglitinto engagement successively with the material to be excavated, in the customary manner.

In `order to lift or lower the frame, which is pivoted at about `one-fourth its length from its rea-r end, so that its vforwardend has a far greater range of :sw-ing than its rear end, the hand wheel 69 is turned to bring the bevel gear into engagement with the bevel gear 366 or 67. Thus the power of the shaft 17 is transmitted to the shaft 59, turning the same in one direction of the other. This movement thus serves to raise or lower the frame through the coperation of the pinions 58 with the rack 57.

To propel the machine forward or backward the hand wheels 89 are turned to retract the slide bearings 82 tobring the vertical rollers 86 into engagement with the inner sides of the traction wheel rims 78, thus causing the wheels to be turned forward.` To cause the excavator to travel rearwardly, the friction rollers are brought into engagement with the inner rim 79. It will be understood that'the shaft 83'is constantly turned as long as the bucket chain is in operation, so that power to propel the excava-v tor is derived from the chain of excavating elements. To facilitate the turning of the excavator in `one direction or the other, without any appreciable forward or backward movement of the machine `asa whole, one only of the friction rollersmay berendered operative with respect to its corresponding traction wheel, the guide wheel 22 being suitably turned at the same time byV means of its controlling devices.

As the rear end of thebucket chain pro- `jects beyond the body of the machine, a wagon or dump car 93 maybe brought under the rear of the bucket chain to receive thematerial from the buckets as the same pass around the disks 44` The excavator as employed herein is designed primarily for cutting tunnels, in mining operations. To adapt it for the cutting of trenches, ditches and the like, morel readily, the racks 57 of the arms` 56 may be continued downwardly farther toward the lower ends of these arms, so that the cutting end of the bucket chain may be lowered a Y greater distance below the surface of the ground.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Let-V ters Patent:-

1. An excavator comprising a body hav-V 'chain of lexcavator buckets, means for drivin-g said chain, and means `driven'frorn said chain, for independently vactuating 'saiditraction `wheels.

' 2. An yexcavator comprising a body having independent traction wheels and a guide wheel, :a main shaft journaled y'on said "body,

:a frame 'mounted to swing upon said shaft,

an endless chain of excavator buckets movalbly Vmounted Iupon 4said frame, a prime mover., means for driving said excavator `chain from-said mainshaft, means operatively `connecting said yprime mover and said main shaft, means for flowering and raising said iframe and swinging the same upon said 'main shaft, means for operatively connecting said last-mentioned means and said main shaftat will, and means for actuating said traction wheels from said excavator chain.

3. An excavator comprising a body having a prime mover mounted thereon and provided'with an arcuate, upwardly-extending arm having a rack, a main shaft journaled on said body, a frame mounted to swing upon said main shaft, means for operatively connecting said prime mover and said main shaft, a movable chain of excavator buckets carried by 'said frame, means driven from n said chain for propelling said body, means for operatively connecting said main shaft and said movable excavator chain, said frame carrying a second shaft having a pinion in mesh with said rack, and means for operatively connecting and disconnecting said main shaft and said other shaft at will.

4. Anexcavator comprising a body having a prime mover mounted thereon and pro vided with'an arcuate, upwardly extending arm having a rack,'a main shaft journaled ony said body, a frame `mounted to swing.

upon said main shaft, means for operatively connecting said prime mover and said main shaft, a movable chain of excavator buckets carried by said frame, means for operatively connecting said main shaft and said movable excavator chain, said frame carrying a second shaft having a pinion in mesh with said rack, means for operatively connecting and disconnecting said main shaft and said other shaft at will, said body having'independent traction wheels, and independent Y means for operatively connecting said movable excavator chain and said traction wheels at will.

5. An excavator comprising a'body having independent traction wheels and a guide wheel, a main shaft journaled upon said body, means for driving said shaft, an elongated frame mounted to rock upon said main shaft, means for rocking said frame upon said main shaft, an endless chain of excavator buckets mounted upon said frame, means for driving said chain from said main shaft, a countershaft 1n opera'tlve relation with a run oi said chain, and independent means for actuating said traction wheels from said countershaft.

6. An excavator comprising a body having atthe forward end spaced, upwardly extending'arcuate arms each having a rack, a traction wheel journaled upon each of said arms, a main shaft journaled on saidv body,

an elongated frame mounted. to rock upon saidl main shaft, and located between said arms, means for driving said main shaft, an endless chain of excavator buckets carried by said frame. means for driving said chain from said main shaft, said frame having a second shaft provided .with pinions in mesh with said racks, shaft and gearing mechanism for operatively connectingsaid main shaft and said second'shaft for rocking said .frame at will, sprockets operatively connected with said chain, independent friction rollers for engaging the rims of said traction wheels, a Acommon shaft for said i sprockets and said friction rollers, and meansnfor Inoving said last-mentioned shaft to bring said rollers .into and out of operative .relation with theA rlmsof said traction wheels.

7 In an excavator, an endless chain of excavator buckets, a countershaft associated with a run of said chain and rotated thereby, traction means, and means for actuating said traction means from said counter-shaft.

JAMES JOSEPH WARREN.; 

